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Can Audi’s drop-top A3 emulate its tin-top cousin when it comes to winning the hearts, minds and chequebooks of prospective buyers?

By Aurko S.
Published on July 1, 2014

The A3 Cabriolet seems to have given us some promising omens… Delivering on the important elements of compact hatch motoring — easy to drive and park, prove frugal at the pumps — it even adds the sun once the roof is down.
Being a Sport specification A3, it boasts a slightly lower ride height and firmer suspension set up than the lower spec SE. This combination is better than the regular A3 hatch . That the car’s optional 18-inch wheels (default is 17-inch) also don’t appear to hamper the ride quality is proof that Audi has come along way in recent years when it comes to balancing a sporty ride with day-to-day comfort. Lift the car’s fabric lid and, with a few exceptions, this car’s like the regular three-door A3 so forgive the whistle-stop tour in favour of focusing on said fabric lid.
One benefit of Sport spec ownership is a three-layer roof boasting a greater level of insulation over the standard item on lesser models. Certainly, with the roof up the cabin ambience is refined. Of greater importance is the usability angle, and it doesn’t get any easier than pressing the roof switch for 17 seconds and watching the top disappear into a dedicated space above the car’s boot. That you can raise and lower the roof at up to 31mph is a welcome bonus, although installing the wind deflector does render the rear seats out of bounds. Rear leg space is modest.

The engine choice is Audi’s new 1.4-litre petrol unit complete with ‘Cylinder on Demand’ mode. This 140 horsepower unit is pleasingly quiet and delivers ample urge so long as expectations are sensible. However, to boost economy and reduce emissions, on a light throttle two of the four cylinders will shut down. If it wasn’t for the trip computer display alerting you to this ‘twin-pot’ running mode you’d struggle to notice, although those with keen senses will detect a slightly off-beat engine resonance. And it’s no gimmick; the instant fuel economy readout often jumps to 100-plus mpg around town, with the result that early running has seen close to 50mpg on a 30-minute mixed road run. If that’s not high-tech enough to impress you’ve also got Audi’s high-spec optional infotainment system to play with.

Aside from DAB and Bluetooth, there’s a comprehensive sat-nav, high-res screen and 4G-ready data connection for Google search, weather and traffic alerts and the social media integration. Plus, you can send destinations from Audi’s dedicated website direct to the car. So far, so seamless
— and 4G is pretty quick, too.

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The Community is a monthly magazine that offers a broad range of features, primarily based on lifestyle and social issues, relevant to the UAE expatriates and nationals. With its distinctive accent on people, trends and lifestyle, the magazine offers a comprehensive range of articles for both men and women. Its content and voice are guided by the needs and aspirations of the people of the UAE and their opinions, choices and necessities, making the magazine a very strong platform for people to reach out and make a difference.

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